{"id":420072,"date":"2026-05-09T22:34:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T22:34:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/420072\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T22:34:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T22:34:14","slug":"new-releases-on-netflix-this-week-and-top-10-movies-series-may-9-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/420072\/","title":{"rendered":"New Releases on Netflix This Week and Top 10 Movies & Series: May 9, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n

Picture Credit: Paramount Pictures<\/p>\n

Welcome to your Netflix end-of-week recap! We are now firmly into May 2026, and Netflix is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down its content pipeline. As we head into the weekend of May 9th, it\u2019s time to look back at everything that touched down on the streaming service over the past seven days and analyze what\u2019s currently dominating the Netflix Top 10 charts.<\/p>\n

In total, 25 new releases hit Netflix this week (15 movies and 10 series), which is down massively from the near 100 new arrivals<\/a> for the first of the month last week, but that doesn\u2019t mean there\u2019s nothing new to watch. Whether you are looking for international thrillers, highly anticipated literary adaptations, or true crime, there is a little bit of everything.<\/p>\n

Plus, there is some fantastic news for those on the \u201cStandard with Ads\u201d plan: due to a shift in licensing agreements, the beloved Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy is finally unlocked and available for ad-tier subscribers to enjoy!<\/p>\n

Here are our top three picks to watch this weekend, followed by the full list of new arrivals and a deep dive into the top-performing titles, but before that, don\u2019t forget that Netflix goes live tomorrow night for The Roast of Kevin Hart with Shane Gillis hosting.\u00a0Here\u2019s when it goes live:\u00a0<\/p>\n

8:00 PM ET (Eastern):
\n7:00 PM CT (Central)
\n6:00 PM MT (Mountain)
\n5:00 PM PT (Pacific)<\/p>\n

Best New Movies and Shows to Watch This Weekend<\/p>\n

Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026)<\/p>\n

Director: Olivia Newman
Writer: Olivia Newman, John Whittington, Shelby Van Pelt
Country of Origin: United States
Cast: Dan Payne, Lewis Pullman, Sally Field<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a heartwarming, quirky, and deeply emotional new original movie, this is our top recommendation of the week. Based on the beloved, bestselling 2022 novel by Shelby Van Pelt, this touching film follows Tova Sullivan, a widow who deals with her grief by keeping busy, eventually taking a night shift cleaning at a local aquarium.<\/p>\n

There, she forms an unlikely and magical connection with Marcellus, a remarkably intelligent and delightfully curmudgeonly giant Pacific octopus. Through shifting perspectives\u2014including the witty inner monologue of the octopus himself\u2014Marcellus helps Tova uncover the long-buried truth about her son\u2019s mysterious disappearance at sea years ago.<\/p>\n

In our review, where we gave it a 3.5-star rating<\/a>, we concluded:<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, it\u2019s a TV movie with a voiceover of an octopus, but if it hits you just right, Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, & whoever you transposed into their emotionally resonant characters just might surprise you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lost City (2022)<\/p>\n

Director: Aaron Nee, Adam Nee
Writer: Oren Uziel, Dana Fox, Adam Nee
Country of Origin: United States
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe<\/p>\n

Sometimes you just need a fun, breezy popcorn movie for your Saturday night, and this action-adventure comedy starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, and Daniel Radcliffe has returned today (unexpectedly, it must be said) for the second time in Netflix US history.<\/p>\n

Bullock stars as Loretta Sage, a reclusive and grieving romance novelist who gets kidnapped by an eccentric, overly ambitious billionaire (Radcliffe) who genuinely believes the fictional lost city featured in her newest book is a real place. It\u2019s up to her handsome, well-meaning, but utterly clueless cover model, Alan (Tatum)\u2014who desperately wants to prove he\u2019s as much of a hero as the character he portrays\u2014to venture into the jungle and save her. Throw in a spectacularly hilarious scene-stealing cameo from Brad Pitt, and you have a perfect throwback to 90s adventure-romps like Romancing the Stone.<\/p>\n

Lord of the Flies (Limited Series)<\/p>\n

Cast: Winston Sawyers, Lox Pratt, David McKenna<\/p>\n

Netflix\u2019s ambitious new limited series adaptation of William Golding\u2019s classic allegorical novel has finally arrived, and it pulls zero punches. Stranded on a beautiful but unforgiving deserted island after a catastrophic crash, a group of schoolboys must survive without adult supervision. While they initially try to establish a civilized democratic order, things quickly and violently descend into chaos, paranoia, and tribal warfare.<\/p>\n

This adaptation offers a dark, gripping, and visually stunning modern take on the iconic story of Ralph, Jack, and Piggy. If the psychological tension leaves you wanting more behind-the-scenes context, a companion documentary, Making of Lord of the Flies, also dropped alongside the series this week!<\/p>\n

Full List of New Releases on Netflix This Week
\n15 New Movies Added This Week<\/p>\n

Note for the Spider-Man films, these are the first time subscribers on the ad-tier can watch!<\/p>\n

And So It Goes (2014)\u00a0\u2013 PG-13 \u2013 English
\nBharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam (2026)\u00a0\u2013 TV-14 \u2013 Malayalam
\nComic 8 Revolution: Santet K4bin3t (2025)\u00a0\u2013 TV-PG \u2013 Indonesian
\nCountdown: Rousey vs. Carano (2026)\u00a0Netflix Original\u00a0\u2013 TV-MA \u2013 English
\nIsmael\u2019s Ghosts (2017)\u00a0\u2013 R \u2013 French
\nMaking of Lord of the Flies (2026)\u00a0Netflix Original\u00a0\u2013 TV-14 \u2013 English
\nMy Dearest Assassin (2026)\u00a0Netflix Original\u00a0\u2013 TV-MA \u2013 Thai
\nRemarkably Bright Creatures (2026)\u00a0Netflix Original\u00a0\u2013 PG-13 \u2013 English
\nSafe Haven (2013)\u00a0\u2013 PG-13 \u2013 English
\nSpider-Man (2002) \u2013 PG-13 \u2013 English\u00a0
\nSpider-Man 2 (2004)\u00a0\u2013 PG-13 \u2013 English
\nSpider-Man 3 (2007)\u00a0\u2013 PG-13 \u2013 English
\nStriking Distance (1993)\u00a0\u2013 R \u2013 English
\nThe Lost City (2022)\u00a0\u2013 PG-13 \u2013 English
\nThe Silent Twins (2022)\u00a0\u2013 R \u2013 English<\/p>\n

10 New TV Series Added This Week<\/p>\n

Dr. Seuss\u2019s Horton! (Season 2)\u00a0Netflix Original\u00a0\u2013 TV-G \u2013 English
\nJujutsu Kaisen (Season 2)\u00a0\u2013 TV-MA \u2013 Japanese
\nLegends (Season 1)\u00a0Netflix Original\u00a0\u2013 TV-MA \u2013 English
\nLord of the Flies (Limited Series)\u00a0Netflix Original\u00a0\u2013 TV-MA \u2013 English
\nLove is Blind: Poland (Season 1)\u00a0Netflix Original\u00a0\u2013 TV-MA \u2013 Polish
\nMy Royal Nemesis (Limited Series)\u00a0Netflix Original\u00a0\u2013 TV-14 \u2013 Korean
\nThank You, Next (Seasons 1-3)\u00a0Netflix Original\u00a0\u2013 TV-MA \u2013 Turkish
\nThe Chestnut Man (Seasons 2 \u2013 Hide and Seek)\u00a0Netflix Original\u00a0\u2013 TV-MA \u2013 Danish
\nThe Rhythm of Revenge (Season 1)\u00a0\u2013 TV-14 \u2013 Thai
\nWorst Ex Ever (Season 2)\u00a0Netflix Original\u00a0\u2013 TV-MA \u2013 English<\/p>\n

Most Popular Movies on Netflix US This Week<\/p>\n

\"Swapped<\/p>\n

Cr: Skydance Animation\/Netflix \u00a9 2025<\/p>\n

Taking a look at the movie charts, high-octane action and sci-fi completely dominated subscriber watch time. The sweet animated movie Swapped managed to secure a solid lead with 79 points, fending off the Charlize Theron action flick Apex, which held strong at 71 points.<\/p>\n

Beyond the top two, we are seeing a massive resurgence in licensed comfort food and older catalog hits. The Oscar-winning Green Book and the beloved Sandra Bullock\/Ryan Reynolds rom-com The Proposal claimed the #3 and #4 spots, proving that subscribers are always hungry for a cozy rewatch. We\u2019re also seeing an immediate splash from this week\u2019s new arrival, Striking Distance, the classic 1993 Bruce Willis thriller, which tied for #6. With Remarkably Bright Creatures only just arriving, expect to see it climb much higher than its current #13 spot by this time next week.<\/p>\n

Swapped (79 points)
\nApex (71 points)
\nGreen Book (45 points)
\nThe Proposal (44 points)
\nThe Boss (34 points)
\nHome (30 points)
\nStriking Distance (30 points)
\nZombieland: Double Tap (28 points)
\nPretty Woman (18 points)
\nJennifer\u2019s Body (15 points)
\nYou, Always (15 points)
\nMy Dearest Assassin (10 points)
\nRemarkably Bright Creatures (9 points)
\nMother\u2019s Day (5 points)
\nMiraculous World: Paris, Tales of Shadybug and Claw Noir (4 points)
\nRoommates (2 points)
\nDomestic Disturbance (1 points)<\/p>\n

Most Popular Series on Netflix US This Week<\/p>\n

\"Man<\/p>\n

Over on the television side, the gritty series adaptation of Man on Fire is proving to be a massive hit, clinching the top spot with 71 points. However, it had incredibly stiff competition from the true-crime genre, as the jaw-dropping new docuseries Should I Marry A Murderer? was nipping at its heels all week with 68 points.<\/p>\n

Further down the list, NBC\u2019s sinkhole sci-fi drama La Brea is experiencing a massive \u201cNetflix Bump\u201d as a licensed pickup, rounding out the top three. We also see Lord of the Flies making a very strong debut at #5 despite only being on the service for a few days. Notably, Kevin Hart\u2019s Funny AF stand-up features are occupying multiple slots at the lower end of the board because points are split across various episodes\/specials, but cumulatively, the comedian is pulling in huge viewership numbers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Man on Fire (71 points)
\nShould I Marry A Murderer? (68 points)
\nLa Brea (51 points)
\nRunning Point (41 points)
\nLord of the Flies (36 points)
\nWorst Ex Ever (29 points)
\nHomicide Squad: New Orleans (25 points)
\nFunny AF with Kevin Hart (25 points)
\nRaw (22 points)
\nUnchosen (19 points)
\nHulk Hogan: Real American (18 points)
\nFunny AF with Kevin Hart (9 points)
\nFunny AF with Kevin Hart (6 points)
\nLegends (5 points)
\nBEEF (4 points)
\nMy Royal Nemesis (3 points)
\nCountdown: Rousey vs. Carano (3 points)
\nSalish & Jordan Matter (3 points)
\nMillion Dollar Secret (2 points)<\/p>\n

That\u2019s it for this week \u2013 we\u2019ll be back tomorrow for a look ahead at\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Picture Credit: Paramount Pictures Welcome to your Netflix end-of-week recap! We are now firmly into May 2026, and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":420073,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[156,409,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-420072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-entertainment","tag-movies","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=420072"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420072\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/420073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=420072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=420072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=420072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}